News is reaching ClashMusic that Slipknot bass player Paul gray has been found dead.
Metal icons Slipknot have been rocked by the news that bass player Paul Gray has passed away. The musician was found dead earlier tonight, with the Press Association confirming the sad news.
Details are still scarce, with a drugs overdose suspected. A hotel employee found 38-year-old Gray in a room at the Town Plaza Hotel in Urbandale, a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa.
The musician had been staying at the TownePlace Suites hotel in the Urbandale area for “a couple of days”, Sgt Dave Disney said.
A statement from police revealed that no foul play was involved.
Slipknot rose to fame with their ferocious brand of rap metal, alongside a penchant for the theatrical. With their masks and unrelenting music the band became one of the leaders of the nu metal scene.
The band’s fourth album ‘All Hope Is Gone’ was an international hit, smashing into the Stateside charts at number one. Reinforcing their reputation as one of metal’s most incendiary groups, the album topped charts across the world.
Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, which runs the Grammys, said: “Paul Gray had a passion for music and a flair for the theatrical.”
“The band’s mix of grinding rap-metal along with their energetic live shows helped establish them as one of the most popular bands in the genre.”
“The heavy metal world has lost an immense talent, and Slipknot’s loyal following will ensure he and his music are remembered for years to come.”
